Like a Dragon Gaiden sees the return of long-time series protagonist (and sometimes co-protagonist) Kazuma Kiryu. But if you’re thinking of tackling the game, you’ll want to know, do you need to play other Yakuza games before Like a Dragon Gaiden?
Here’s Whether You Should Jump in With Like a Dragon Gaiden
Do you need to play other Yakuza games? You don’t absolutely have to, but I would recommend that you do. The game makes some effort to get new players up to speed with exposition and flashbacks but you’ll miss out on a lot if you haven’t played at least Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life before playing Like a Dragon Gaiden.
Early on there are plenty of nods to other titles, such as the ‘tribute’ fighters in the colosseum. And there’s also mention of a fuzzy-haired guy who got shot, being healed by the homeless camp’s doctor. But unless you’ve played Yakuza: Like a Dragon, you’ll just be scratching your head.
Related: Is Goro Majima in Like a Dragon Gaiden?
Then there’s Kiryu himself. The game talks about the orphanage he had at one point run and makes it clear that the continued welfare of the kids there is his only real motivator. But unless you’ve seen him with Haruka, his adopted daughter, that won’t have as much impact as the game wants.
As you progress through the game, Like a Dragon Gaiden relies more and more on you knowing about previous titles, including appreciating the journey of Like a Dragon protagonist Ichiban. But if you’ve not played Yakuza: Like a Dragon you won’t know who the hell Ichiban is.
So, the answer to do you need to play other Yakuza games before Like a Dragon Gaiden is no, not exactly, but the game won’t be half as impactful if you haven’t played the sixth and seventh games.
